Directions:Preheat oven to 250.For the crust- Mix the crumbs and the butter until damp. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside.

For the cheesecake-In a large bowl, slowly cream together the chocolate, cocoa, sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Add the eggs and sour cream, mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared pan. Allow to sit 2 minutes, then tap the pan on the counter to encourage any air bubbles to come to the surface and burst. Bake 2 hours or until the surface is mostly set- the middle inch or so might still look not even less set, almost jiggly**. Remove to the counter and run a knife or thin spatula around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm. Refrigerate leftovers.

*Pulse halved cookies in a food processor until they resemble coarse sand.

**Overbaking or poking the center might result in a crack. Resist the urge. Alternately, cover or cut around the crack.

My thoughts:

This is the ne plus ultra of chocolate cheesecakes. It is not the time for calorie counting, weight-watching, using low fat products or for the faint of heart. Cheesecake is always impressive (despite being relatively uncomplicated to make) to serve to guests and chocolate cheesecake even more so. I generally avoid ordering chocolate flavored cheesecakes in restaurants because I find that they are often just a regular cheesecake with a slight cocoa flavor. That's not a problem with this cheesecake. The chocolate flavor is very strong and is accentuated by the very dark chocolate crust and the tang of the cream cheese and sour cream. The sour cream also keeps the cheesecake from becoming too firm or overly dense. The combination of 85% dark chocolate and cocoa result in a complex chocolate flavor that is unlike any I've had in a cheesecake.

Note: The intense chocolate flavor eliminates the need for sauces or a topping of any kind, but if you are the gild the lily type, a dollop of whipped cream would not be out of place.

Oh my, oh my, oh my! What chocolate bliss awaits me. While the guys are doing their thing during the Super Bowl, I'm curling up with a hot pot of tea, a good book and a slice of this amazing looking cheescake. I can hardly wait to combine my favorite three things into a few hours of pleasure. My mouth is drooling at the prospect.

As Rachel's husband, I can attest to this being the best dessert ever! I am rather picky about cheesecake but this had a wonderfully smooth texture, a very chocolaty flavor, and the homemade cookies she used in the crust made it truly over-the-top. Lucky for me there are leftovers...

OMG, I just ruined my whole cheesecake. I grabbed the salt container and put in 2 cups! Our salt and sugar tupperware are the same and trying to rush to get tbis done and in the oven I did not read the labels! I could just scream! I guess I am off to buy a dessert to take to the party at this point. I was even going to take a picture for your site!